Time Warp
by MumblePhantomFox
Summary: Sequel to Set in Stone: Speed always felt like a normal kid. Aside from the fame and racing, he's got a loving family, some good friends, and people to tell him about the bright future ahead of him, just like pretty much everyone else. The problem with feeling like everyone else, though, is that he just doesn't feel like...himself. (T to be safe; some heavier than K topics later.)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Cue the "everybody stay calm" clip from The Office because I'm finally in a place where I'm comfortable with starting to post this mother! :D Here it is, 3 years and 19 days after I announced it would be coming "soon," and it's not even fully written yet... Without further ado, I give you... TIME WARP: THE SEQUEL TO SET IN STONE! *fanfare!* ENJOY!_

* * *

 **Chapter 1;  
"Just an Ordinary Day"**

* * *

Speed woke up to a typical Sunday morning.

It was the same routine as any other weekend morning; he would lay there for a few minutes in bed, wondering whether to get up or sleep in. He almost always chose the former. Even if he wanted to sleep in, X's snoring from across the room would distract him from dozing off. He would then get up, get dressed, take a shower, brush his teeth, and head down to breakfast. By the time he was in the cafeteria, X had gotten up and was getting ready to head down to the cafeteria himself. By the time X actually got there, Speed was usually halfway done eating, if not entirely finished already.

Right on schedule, X sat down across the table from his brother with his tray as Speed was nearly finished with his own meal.

"Good Morning," Speed said, having looked up from his tray when X walked in.

"'Morning," X replied as he started on his breakfast.

Speed looked around the half full cafeteria. "How's the work on the Shooting Star going?" he asked in an attempt to start an idle conversation.

X glanced up at him. "Actually, I'm getting pretty far. Should be done by tomorrow if I keep working on it, and dad said he'd help later after his session with Mitch."

Speed smiled. "Cool. I might help a little, too. I need to wash the Blue Jet first, though. It's still covered in dust from Professor Winn's lesson on low visibility yesterday. But once I'm finished I'll give you a hand." X nodded in appreciation.

After he finished his breakfast, Speed threw away his trash and left the cafeteria, heading towards his and X's garage.

Once there, he stopped for a moment, looking at the coating of dust obscuring his car. He frowned, drawing a finger across part of it and observing the amount of dirt that stuck to his fingertip with disappointment before glancing at the line his finger had made in the dust, the true light blue color of the car showing through it. ' _Better get started if I ever wanna finish,'_ he thought as he picked up a bucket and went to fill it.

By the time he was back, X was already in the garage, seemingly oblivious of his brother's presence as he fiddled with the front end of the Shooting Star. Speed didn't bother him and started going over his own car with a sopping wet sponge.

Rinsing the Blue Jet this way didn't take Speed too long. The dust came off easily as the water washed over it, dripping down onto and running over the slightly slanted floor into a drain that had been installed partly for that very purpose. After the dust had been rinsed off, Speed emptied the leftover water out of his bucket, wrung out the sponge, and replaced both objects where he had gotten them.

Now that it wasn't covered in dirt, the silvery blue car gleamed like it was supposed to. Speed had gotten the car as a present for his 16th birthday along with an acceptance letter from the academy. It was one of his father's original designs; a streamlined, rounded car that tapered downwards in the front and up in the rear. The entire car was a light, crystal blue with the exceptions of some dark blue wavy decals and a matching 'M' on the hood of the car. Speed had eventually decided to call it 'The Blue Jet' after a type of lightning.

X was still hard at work on the Shooting Star, sinking deeper into his task as time went by. Speed glanced over his brother's progress. X had been trying to install a small blaster into his car for a few days, and all of the five times he had already tried testing it, it had either glitched and shot too late or too early, or hadn't worked entirely. Their father had finally taken pity on his eldest son, and agreed to help him the first chance he got. Speed decided to head down to the track to see how his father's tutoring session was going.

Speed found his father where he expected to, coaching Mitch via headset as the student navigated the track.

He waited for Mitch's car to drive by before sprinting across the track to the pit where his father stood. Speed Sr. acknowledged his son with a small smile. "Hey, Dad," Speed said as he jogged to his father's side.

"Hello, Speed," Speed Sr. replied as he watched Mitch drive. "You're looking better, Mitch. Try braking less in the turns; your car can handle them faster without losing control," he continued into the headset.

"How's it going?" Speed asked, watching as Mitch went around a turn slightly faster than before.

"Better, but we've still got some work to do," Speed Sr. said, directing his statement at both Mitch and his son. "Any advice, Speed?"

Figuring he was being tested, Speed crossed his arms and watched Mitch's driving with a critical eye. "I would accelerate more on the straightaways. It could help make up some of the time he loses in the turns," he said confidently.

"Did you catch that, Mitch?" Speed Sr. said into the headset, smiling with approval at his son.

"Yeah, ok," Mitch replied on the other end.

"We'll probably be another 20 minutes," Speed Sr. said, knowing what Speed planned on asking him. Speed nodded. "Ok, cool. I'll be in the garage with X."

Speed left his father alone to finish the lesson and went to go give X a hand.

His brother, as expected, was still in the garage, positioned beneath the front of the Shooting Star.

"How far along are you?" Speed asked. X peered out from under the car, pausing his work. "Oh, hey. Pretty far, I was just tightening some of the wires and stuff." Speed nodded and X went back to work. "I was thinking that maybe it was the way the wires were placed that was making it glitch. Like, maybe the engine was knocking them out of place or something while it was running."

"Yeah, that seems reasonable. It's hard to tell what's in the way when the car isn't running."

X made a sound of agreement.

They were both silent for a few minutes until X spoke again. "Ok, let's try that. If it stays in place, then we can go out to the Salt Flats and test it," he said, sliding out from under the car. Speed stepped aside to allow X to pass him. Once X had started the car, Speed peered into the hood, trying to see anything that was obviously out of place. X stuck his head out of the car. "See anything?"

Speed shook his head. "No. Looks okay so far."

X smiled slightly and turned off the car, checking everything from underneath once more. "Seems like everything's still in place. Now let's see if it actually works," he said.

* * *

Their trip to the Salt Flats was fruitless; the blaster still wasn't working right, and X was ready to give up. The trip had taken half an hour, and by the time they got back, their father was waiting patiently in the garage, looking over the Blue Jet critically. He looked up as the Shooting Star pulled into the garage and the brothers stepped out of it.

"Any luck yet?" Speed Sr. asked, already predicting the answer from the look on X's face. Speed shook his head.

"I give up," X replied flatly, resisting the urge to kick his car. "I'm starving and I have no clue how to get this dumb thing to work right."

Speed Sr. gave X a sympathetic look. "I'll take a look at it; you two go get some lunch."

The brothers left the garage and headed towards the cafeteria while their father began to work on the car.

"I just don't get it," X grumbled as they walked. "I mean, I've tried troubleshooting that blaster at least a thousand times! If dad gets in there and finds out it's something really simple and obvious, I might just lose it."

Speed snickered. "I'll keep a camera handy if that happens. I bet your face will be priceless."

X rolled his eyes. "Just don't use it for blackmail."

"What the heck am I gonna blackmail you for?"

X just shrugged. "How should I know? We've been doing just about everything together for the past sixteen years and I still don't know what you're thinking half the time."

Speed just smiled slightly and shook his head.

A comfortable silence descended between the two of them that wasn't broken until they had sat down at a table with their lunch trays.

"You know, things would be easier if we had a mechanic," X said finally, absently poking at his food with a fork. When Speed eyed him with slight confusion, X continued, "At least until Sparky gets back. And even then, it'd still be nice. Him and dad are busy enough without having to worry about fixing up our cars on top of it all."

"I guess you've got a point," Speed replied. They were able to do basic maintenance on their cars themselves, but both had to admit that becoming a mechanic was not for either of them. Sparky had been more than happy to help them out in the past, but he had been away for several months collaborating with a mechanical engineer in Russia, something he had been looking forward to for quite a while. Their dad had been helping them out instead, whenever his schedule permitted, but Speed always felt a little guilty about bothering him. Their only other options were to hire a mechanic, find one of their peers to help out, or to take the cars to a shop every time they broke down. Speed thought that the second option sounded more appealing, but they didn't really know anyone who fit the bill. "You know, I actually had a weird dream last night…" he said suddenly, looking thoughtful.

X raised an eyebrow. "That was random."

"Yeah, but in the dream, I was friends with that one kid, and he was pretty much my mechanic," Speed explained while X only half listened.

"What kid?" X asked absently, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"You know, that weird kid who's completely obsessed with dad," Speed clarified, trying to remember more details. "What's his name… Um, Cameron? Clark?"

X glanced up. "Isn't it Connor or something?"

"Yeah!" Speed exclaimed. "That's the one."

X snorted. "Weird."

Speed mumbled his agreement as he took a bite of his own sandwich, but he couldn't help but notice that it felt strange, him agreeing with his brother about that. He easily shook off the feeling.

"Yo, X and Speed!"

The brothers looked up as Jared and Jesse approached. "Hey guys," Speed greeted as they sat down. X's mouth was full, so he just settled for nodding at the Deuceys.

"Hey X, did you get that blaster thing on your car to work yet?" Jared asked.

X swallowed. "No, and I've given up. Dad's taking a look at it," he replied.

"Well that sucks," Jesse said.

"How's Annalise?" Speed asked.

"She's getting better," Jared answered with a slight smile.

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, she'll probably be in class tomorrow."

X snickered. "Just in time for Aniskov's driving test, I bet she'll love that." The others snickered, conversing idly for the rest of lunch.

Afterwards, the boys traveled back to their garage to see how their father was doing. When they got there, Speed Sr. was just driving back in, presumably returning from testing the blaster. "Did it work? Were you able to fix it?" X asked eagerly as his dad stepped out of the car.

Speed Sr. smiled at his son. "Yeah, it's working now. It was a minor problem with the wiring, not a very big deal."

X eyed his dad suspiciously. "What kind of wiring problem? Was it something obvious?" Speed remembered his earlier promise not a moment to soon and quickly fumbled in his pocket for his phone, just getting it open as their father answered.

"Nah, you were just using the wrong gauge of wire."

Speed snapped a picture of X's blank expression, and X nodded once before walking out of the room without a word.

"We definitely need a mechanic," Speed said.

Speed Sr. smiled. "That's not a bad idea," he said. "I'm sure there's someone in one of your classes who isn't already helping another team."

"If we're lucky," Speed replied. "I can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Maybe I can put up a flyer or something, that'd at least attract some attention."

"Sounds like a plan. While I'm here, is there anything else you two need? Is the Jet running okay?"

Speed looked at his car for a moment. "Yeah, she's ready for the test tomorrow. Speaking of which, I should probably go over the course one more time. Better safe than sorry."

Speed Sr. raised a brow for a moment as if the statement had taken him by surprise before dropping it. "Good idea," he agreed with a nod. "I'll leave you to it..." Speed was a little put off by his father's subtle surprise, but that surprise was overshadowed by his approval; approval which distracted Speed from how admittedly unusual his plan was.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful; Speed reviewed for the test for a while, then headed down to the game room to hang out with X and the Deuceys, where X and Jared got into a heated discussion about whether or not melee weapons were better than ranged attacks. X argued that melee weapons were all-around better and looked cooler, while Jared insisted that they were no match for ranged attacks and Jesse backed him up when asked. X tried to drag Speed into the argument on his side, but Speed argued that magic attacks and buffs could "completely own more mobs in a fight" than any kind of traditional weapon. After dinner, Speed went to bed early while X stayed up for who knows how long.

All in all, it was just another typical day at Racer Academy.

* * *

 _A/N: Don't worry, it picks up speed pretty quickly from here. ;D Hope it's at least satisfactory after y'all had to wait sooooo friiiiigggiiiiin' loooooong for it, and I'm going to update once or twice a week from here on out for at least the next 6 chapters (see, I can promise that because they're already written; love how that works...). If any parts are confusing at any point, then just let me know and I'll tweak it or explain if necessary, but hopefully I won't have to. (I say that because I've had this story in my head and partially on digital paper for so long that I know what I'm talking about even though you might not, sooo yeah. Just let me know.)_

 _I'm actually pretty proud of what I've written of it so far... Should be fun! :D I am thoroughly sick of this chapter, though, because I've read and tweaked it at least 50 times, and it took me a while to get it written at first because it's kinda slow. The next chapters were fun for the most part, though, so that should tell you a little something or other. ;) See ya soon in chaptah twooo!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2;  
"Curiouser and Curiouser..."**

* * *

" _Who the heck was that?"_

" _They've got Alpha Leader, it was just a diversion!"_

" _You can trust me..."_

Speed woke with a start to the frantic sound of an alarm clock. He groaned and rubbed his eyes with one hand, using the other to swat at the clock until it was silent. He sat up and looked around. The clock read 7:01 am. It was Monday morning.

Speed yawned and stretched before walking across the room to wake up his brother. X shifted when Speed shook him firmly by the shoulder, pulling the blanket over his head. "Ugh, ten more minutes, Mom…" X growled. Speed just rolled his eyes and continued his morning routine. He was finished brushing his teeth and about to take a quick shower when X managed to pull _himself_ out of bed for once. By the time Speed was out of the shower and getting dressed, half an hour had passed and X was nowhere in sight. Speed knew that he had probably gone to the cafeteria already; Speed was usually the first up in the morning, but on weekdays, X always managed to beat him to breakfast somehow.

It was just past eight when Speed made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Now that he was actually awake, he could feel the familiar tension winding him up like it always did before an important race or test. This little test of Aniskov's wasn't that big of a deal, but still; Speed couldn't help but get pumped. He did also feel a little off, however. He was excited, but also more nervous than usual... He blamed it on the weight of the grade he was about to drive for, and then couldn't help but promptly wonder what that had to do with anything.

He sat down with X, Annalise, and the Deuceys. X was mostly finished eating already, the Deuceys looked as if they had only just sat down, and Annalise was picking selectively at her food. "Morning guys!" Speed remarked with energy that was mostly a result of his nerves.

"Well aren't you cheery today," X commented, eyeing his brother with a smirk.

Speed exaggerated his smile. "Why wouldn't I be?" X shrugged. Speed looked over at Annalise. "You're looking better; how're you feeling?"

"Not bad, I guess," Annalise replied. "I'm good enough to drive."

"That's good." Speed started on his food while the others conversed idly. He seemed to give them his attention half the time, but he wasn't actually listening; his mind had wandered, and he couldn't stop thinking about those dreams he had been having. Each night they were different, but still about the same thing, almost as if he were reading random chapters out of a book. When he woke up, he could only remember bits and pieces of the dreams, but what he did remember was always consistent.

Eventually his gaze wandered over to a table near a corner of the room. Sitting alone, absorbed in what looked like a textbook, was a scrawny kid dressed like Speed Racer.

Speed's brow furrowed slightly in thought as he recalled the conversation he and X had had yesterday. Maybe he should talk to—

"Earth to Junior!"

Speed blinked. "Huh?" X was snickering as Jared waved a hand in front of Speed's nose. Speed swatted at it. "What?"

"C'mon, Speed, just ask him out already! I can't take all this suspense!" X teased, unable to keep a straight face. Speed resisted the urge to throw a spoon at him.

"I just don't know what he sees in him," Annalise sighed, shrugging as if Speed were a hopeless love-bird.

"Yeah," Jesse laughed. "I mean, Connor's such a dweeb!"

Speed felt a flare of anger at that comment and his eyes narrowed disapprovingly, but he didn't know why. He quickly shook it off and rolled his eyes instead.

"I guess that means they're perfect for each other," X remarked, sighing wistfully.

"Oh, shut up!" Speed snapped, but he was unable to keep himself from chuckling slightly and ruining the effect in the process. "I was just spacing out in that general direction."

"You've been doing that a lot recently," X said. "Got a lot on your mind or somethin'?"

Speed glanced at Connor again. "I'm gonna go with 'or something.'"

Thankfully for Speed, the topic was dropped.

* * *

Both Professor Aniskov's class and Professor Winn's class were waiting in the teaching bay of the track, idly conversing amongst themselves. Speed was going through the course again in his head, lightly drumming his fingers against his desktop.

The shrill ring of the bell signaling the class's start sharply brought Speed out of his own little world.

"Alright, students," Aniskov said loudly, immediately silencing any conversations that had continued after the bell. "As you all already know, you all are going to be tested together today. My students will be graded on their offensive driving techniques."

"And my students will be graded on their defensive driving techniques," Professor Winn added as she walked forward to join Professor Aniskov, a sheet of paper in her hand. "Each of you will be paired with a student from the other class to take the test. Are there any questions before we get started?"

Nobody raised their hands or spoke up, so Professor Winn began reading out the assigned teams from the list on her paper. X got paired with Antonio before Speed heard his name; an interesting choice, he thought. Antonio had gotten a few lessons from Speed Sr. a while back and had been improving steadily ever since. ' _I wonder how he'd do against X... Guess I'll get to see in a bit.'_ He was again pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his name being paired with Jen.

He glanced over at the blonde sitting a few rows ahead of him. She was looking back at him and smiling sheepishly. Speed smiled back before he looked away. ' _She's terrified,'_ he thought, wondering if he should go easy on her. It would be a nice change, being paired with someone outside of his circle of friends... But at the same time, there was a reason why he usually wasn't; he had thoroughly earned his place at the top of the leaderboard. He had only been at the academy for almost a year now, but he had been driving on makeshift tracks for years before that. Not many of the other students at the academy had the same advantage.

Once everyone's name had been called, Speed, like many others, got up and moved so that he was sitting next to his partner. "Hey, Jen," he greeted with a pleasant smile once he was next to her.

"Hiya Speed," Jen replied.

"Would anyone like to volunteer to go first?" asked Aniskov once everyone who was going to had resituated and he had picked up his clipboard.

Speed and Jen exchanged a look. "Wanna get it over with?" Speed asked quietly. Jen nodded and raised her hand.

"Alright. Jen, Speed, get to the starting line."

The pair stood and headed to the track garage where their cars were waiting for them. Just before getting into his own car, Speed offered Jen a pleasant smile and his hand to shake. "Good luck," he said as Jen accepted his hand and managed to return his smile.

"Thanks."

The second Speed started his car, he was in his element. Even just driving the Jet out of the garage and onto the track earned his complete focus; not even his mother's presence in the stands with her navigation class distracted him.

There was only a minute of lag between the pair arriving at the starting line and the signal that started the test. During that first lap around the real track, Speed held a position behind Jen, as the offensive drivers had been previously instructed to do. Once they reached the track, he would have to try to get in front of Jen and then hold his position without using his weapons system. Meanwhile, Jen would have to use defensive maneuvers to try and keep her position for as long as possible. They weren't going to be graded on who won, but rather on how they maneuvered, and Speed already had some ideas.

The two cars finally blazed through that familiar field of blue energy and onto the redwood virtual track. After only a moment of delay, Speed began advancing, just testing the waters to see how Jen would react. She moved only just enough to block him every time, keeping her car centered on the track for the most part. Smart; she could quickly move in either direction from that position. Otherwise, she wasn't about to budge.

So, he'd just have to make her move.

Carefully advancing once more, he just barely nudged her bumper, her rear tires losing some of their traction on the dirt. The time she had to spend compensating was all he needed to pull up beside her. As soon as she had righted herself and saw what Speed was up to, however, she nearly floored her gas to try and keep her position. The Blue Jet had plenty of power and he was able to keep pace with her, but he couldn't overtake her unless she either let up or slipped up.

Just as Speed was considering boxing her in to force her to slow down, he saw an even better opportunity to take the lead...

There was a nearly ninety degree turn coming up.

Speed slowed his car, as if he were preparing to go around the turn, and Jen took the bait. She seemed cautious, not slowing at all until Speed had dropped back a ways, but she soon slowed as well, and just in time to drift around the turn. That last second was exactly when Speed put the Jet's acceleration and handling to the test.

In the heat of the moment, the world seemed slowed to Speed and his instincts took over just as he had practically floored his gas going into the tight turn. In that split second, he knew that the track was wide enough, his rear would swing out over the dirt and hit Jen if he pushed too hard into the turn, he had the inside to himself, and Jen was going slow enough to be out of harm's way and was showing no signs of speeding up.

He claimed the inside of the turn for himself, Jen slowed even more to stay out of his way, and Speed coasted to the outside of the straightaway to complete the turn, taking the lead in the process.

Or at least he thought he had taken the lead until he saw that Jen was still right beside him on his left. Speed's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. _'She's a better driver than I thought!'_

Going back to Plan H, he edged towards her, trying to box her in. At first she tried speeding up to avoid him, but when she saw that Speed had no difficulty keeping up, she was forced to slow down to keep from being shoved into the treeline. Speed finally took the lead.

There was only straightaway left, the glowing exit rings visible on the horizon and getting closer. Jen wasn't even trying to get around him again at this point, and Speed felt fairly confident that he would get at least a C. (Aniskov's was the only class in which he didn't expect to get any higher; the strict professor knew his experience and judged him harshly as a result.)

Suddenly, he thought he saw something drive straight at him from the side... He got the worst feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he felt himself panic. He compensated as if something was pushing him into the treeline, startling himself when the car reacted as if nothing was there; he swerved wildly for a moment, and by the time he righted himself and started to calm down from the wide-eyed panic he was stuck in, he realized that Jen had taken advantage of his distraction and passed him. She was now in front of him, and she wasn't about to let him pass her no matter how hard he tried. He was back to square one, and with no time to get back to where he had been.

They both roared through the exit rings and skidded to a halt on the real track. Aniskov called him on his communication system, his stern face appearing on a small screen on his console. "Thank you both, that will be all. Put your cars back in the track garage and meet us back in the teaching bay."

They both did as they were told. Once Jen had stepped out of her car, Speed shot her a grin. "Great driving, Jen," he said. "I had a hard time getting around you." Okay, maybe he could've just boxed her to begin with, but that wouldn't have gotten him a very good grade at all.

"Thanks!" Jen replied with a huge smile. "You were great, too. That move you did around the turn almost got me."

"Thanks."

Speed was smiling, but he actually felt a little...shaky? If he wasn't confused before by his apparent hallucination, then he certainly was now. He couldn't explain what he had seen or why, and he didn't know why he had this sinking feeling in his stomach... It was as if there was somebody after him. The thought almost made him snort aloud. Why would someone be after him? He'd never done anything.

As he settled back into his seat in the teaching bay, his thoughts still drifting, X looked at him incredulously. The older Racer obviously had something on his mind, but he said nothing, and Speed was too occupied by his thoughts to do any more than notice him.

 _'First the dreams, then those random feelings, and now this?'_ Speed thought. _'This can't be normal... But what could possibly be wrong?'_

* * *

 _A/N: Told you things would start picking up pretty fast. I don't actually have much to say right now other than the next chapter may clear a few things up and has cuteness from one of my favorite pairings in this fandom, so yay! Look forward to that next week. Or maybe this week, who knows.  
Also, in response to your question, Jessica01: Annalise was just sick. ;) No worries.  
Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
** **"Only Just a Dream"**

* * *

The next day, Speed was looking at that Connor kid again from across the cafeteria. Just looking, definitely not staring.

Even though X didn't make any innuendos out loud, it was obvious from his smirk that he had several in mind. Speed was busy ignoring him when he finally spoke up. "Seriously, dude, just go talk to him or something. He's just a nerd, he won't bite you," he said. "Or at least I don't think he will..."

Speed sat back in his chair and heaved a sigh. "I'm not so sure... There's something about him, you know?"

X's eyebrow rose. "You think he's gonna bite you?"

"What? No, I mean I don't think he's 'just some nerd.' I know it sounds crazy, but..." Speed trailed off, unsure of how to say what he was thinking and also of whether he even should say it in the first place.

"But...?" X prompted. Speed glanced over at his brother and shifted uncomfortably.

"But, I've just... I just have a weird feeling about him," he said finally, his uncertainty evident in his tone. "Remember how I told you that I had this dream where he was our mechanic?"

"Yeah, I guess?"

"Well, that's not the only time I've had that dream. I've been having dreams like that for a while now. I can't remember most of them, but as far as I can tell they're basically all the same. Like I'm reading different chapters of the same book, except out of order or something."

X nodded slowly, seeming to accept his brother's words but still doubting his sanity. "Okay... So what are these dreams about, besides your true love over there?"

"Me," Speed replied. At X's overly-amused expression, Speed groaned and continued. "Not just me, though. It's like... It's pretty much my life, but everything's changed just a little bit. Like Connor's my mechanic, and there's this other girl who I'm friends with, and Annalise and I don't get along at all, and I drive this special car that isn't the Blue Jet. It's not the Mach 5, it's the Mach 4, no, wait... 6, the Mach 6. But that doesn't exist! Not really, there's only the Mach 5."

Speed paused when he noticed that X's expression had become genuinely thoughtful. "The Mach 6?" he mumbled, tapping his fork against his lunch tray. Speed suddenly remembered his own untouched lunch, but wasn't interested in it enough at the moment to eat any of it. "You know, that actually sounds kinda familiar..." X continued. "Maybe you could ask dad about it or something."

"Really?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Because since when do you think dreams are at all important?"

X shrugged. "I don't. Since when do you turn down _adventure?"_

Speed smirked. He'd always wanted to have a real adventure... He had to admit that it would be pretty cool if this car was real, seeing as he was somehow dreaming about it even though he had never heard of it. "Alright, maybe I will."

* * *

Speed didn't get the chance to talk to his father until after all of his classes for the day.

He met the man in question in the brothers' garage. By the time Speed got there, his father was leaning against the Blue Jet's right front fender.

"Hey dad."

Speed Sr. turned his head at the sound of his son's voice. "Speed. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah..." Speed walked over and leaned against his car next to his father.

Speed Sr. looked at his son with a soft expression. "What's been bugging you, Speed?" he asked as Speed hesitated.

 _'This was so much easier in my head.'_ Speed bit his lip, and finally decided to just ask it. "Is there any such thing as the Mach 6?"

The older racer's expression immediately fell. He hastily put on one of the most blank poker faces Speed had ever seen, but Speed hadn't missed that moment of complete stunned panic. He was so taken aback by it that his concern must have shown clearly on his face.

"No, there isn't," his father said with a tone that Speed didn't hear very often, one that left no room for question nor argument. "Where did you hear about it?"

Speed shrunk slightly at his father's sincerity. "I had this weird dream and it was mentioned," he replied obediently. "All I know is that it was a car and was special for some reason. I didn't know it was real, X just said that the name sounded familiar."

Whatever Speed Sr. thought of his son's words, he didn't show anything in his face other than what was—at least to Speed—a formidable glare of authority. "It is real, but it doesn't exist for a good reason," he said.

Speed couldn't help but be curious despite the threat in his father's words and demeanor. Even so, he didn't dare press the issue any further. "Yes sir. I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

His father's expression softened, and Speed relaxed slightly at the sight. "It's alright. Sorry if I scared you, I— You just caught me off guard. I overreacted."

"That's okay," Speed assured him. "I wouldn't have brought it up if I had known it was such a touchy subject."

Speed Sr. forced a slight smile. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? You've seemed a little off recently."

Speed blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Not sure... You just seem quiet. More reserved than usual. And yesterday it looked like you choked on Aniskov's test."

"Oh." Of course his dad would notice if he was acting differently, he was his dad. Why was he...surprised? "Have I? I don't feel any different."

His father didn't seem convinced. "Okay then. But you would tell me if something was wrong? You know you can talk to me."

"Of course I do," Speed replied, ignoring the irony in his father's statement given what had happened just half a minute ago. "I've just been a little tired recently, that's all."

* * *

"What's on your mind?"

Speed Sr. started slightly at the sound of his wife's voice. He looked up to find her climbing the steps of the stands to join him, the touches of silver in her hair sparkling in the rays of the steadily setting sun. They'd both aged so much... She was still beautiful.

"You've been looking like you've seen a ghost," Trixie added once she had her husband's attention. She sat next to him in the stands, close enough that their shoulders touched.

Speed's gaze had returned to the track stretching out in circles before them. "I kind of have."

"What do you mean by that?"

Speed took Trixie's hand in his own. "Speed asked me about the Mach 6 earlier." Speed was avoiding looking at her, but even so he still caught Trixie's panicked expression out of the corner of his eye.

"What did you tell him?"

"That the car doesn't exist," Speed answered solidly. "And it doesn't. At this rate it never will."

"Don't say that... People will have to get sick of paying for gas at some point." Speed snorted irritably, earning himself a look from Trixie. "Well, not everyone can be as amazing as you; some people need an incentive to care about something besides themselves."

"And what, keeping the ozone layer in one piece isn't enough incentive for them?"

"No, it's just that they think the money they make is an even better incentive."

Speed looked over to the side of the track, glaring at Zazic's tower as it stood there, tall and proud, continuously and needlessly spitting harmful chemicals into the air. Trixie followed his line of sight, her scowl matching her husband's when she saw what he was looking at. "I really wish we didn't need his incentive," Speed growled.

"I know." Neither of them appreciated the irony in accepting the oilmonger's financial aid. As fate would have it, however, the school couldn't survive without Zile's donations. They were wrapped around his finger, and both parties knew it. Speed supposed that was the only reason he had agreed to support them in the first place.

They were both silent for several long moments. Trixie had her arm over his shoulder, knowing how much the mere concept of the Mach 6 meant to him yet not knowing any better way to apologize for everything, as needless as an apology from her was. He simply took his wife's other hand in his own and sat there in the silence, lost in his thoughts.

Finally, Trixie gently squeezed his shoulders, winning his attention. "It's getting late; we should get home."

Speed started to stand, helping Trixie up as well. "You're right. Let's go," he agreed with a gruff nod.

It had been so long since he'd been reminded of that particular damning project of his... He didn't want to think about it, but at the same time, his son knowing of the car with the potential to ruin their family—even if it was only a name in his dreams—had knocked him off center. He had assumed that since he had stopped working on the thing that it couldn't threaten them anymore, and that was what had allowed him to sleep with relative ease for the past seventeen years...

...Was he wrong?

* * *

 _A/N: Was this a rough week for anyone else? 'Cause I've heard the same from several people and myself now. Here's to hoping that next week is better, especially since Spring Break is starting on Thursday for me! :D WHOOP! As for the story, it'll be getting a little heavier from here on out, but don't worry, everyone's favorite comic relief will be coming in as a regular soon to help balance it out some. ;) AGH I'M EXCITED, thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4;  
"One is Silver"**

* * *

The next day at breakfast, Speed sat with Connor.

He hadn't even realized it at the time; he just walked into the lunchroom, picked up his breakfast, and—dare he say it— _instinctively_ made his way over to Connor's usual table off to the side of the cafeteria. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late for him to get up without looking like a jerk. He decided to just go through with it, seeing as he had been meaning to eventually talk to him anyway.

Connor, who had paused mid-bite with a spoonful of dripping cereal hovering in front of his mouth, did not react to the situation with the same coolness as Speed. His eyes had widened to comical size, and for a while, he didn't say anything. He just made a strangled sort of whining noise...

Speed glanced over to where X and his friends were sitting, only to find them all staring tactlessly at him with a grab-bag of different expressions. As they returned to their meals, Speed's attention returned to Connor.

While Speed had been distracted, Connor had been busy recovering from the shock of having one of the sons of his hero suddenly sitting right in front of him. He had set (read: dropped) his spoon back into his bowl, and was now on the verge of hyperventilating in his attempt to take a few steadying breaths. Speed gave him an awkward smile. "Uhhh... Hi."

"Oh my gosh... I mean- uh, I, I mean-" he stammered. Speed waited patiently for him to find his words; as a celebrity, it wasn't the first time he had gotten this reaction from someone. "H-Hi, Sp-Speed..."

"It's Connor, right?"

Connor's hand flew to his mouth, and he nearly squealed aloud. "Yes! How do you know my name?!"

"Uh, well..." Speed paused to think for a moment. He decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to tell him about the dreams he had been having, but what other excuse did he have? It wasn't like Connor was very popular, so he wouldn't have heard, let alone remembered, his name from hearing it in passing. "...I was told that you're a mechanic?"

"Yeah!" Connor confirmed, nodding so ecstatically that Speed was worried that he might give himself whiplash.

"Cool. Are you with a team?"

Connor's eyes somehow got even wider as what Speed was probably about to ask dawned on him. "Not really, no," he squeaked. He cleared his throat before elaborating, obviously having to make a conscious effort to keep his voice 'cool,' or at least steady. "I mean, I'm not _officially_ a member of any team. I just help out whoever asks me for help, you know?"

Speed nodded. "Sounds cool. I was just asking because mine and X's mechanic is in Russia right now, and we've been having some trouble keeping up with maintenance by ourselves," he explained.

"Yeaaahhh...?!"

"...Do you think that you could maybe help us out sometime?"

" _Would I?!"_ Connor exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seating, making Speed jump, and earning most of the room's attention in the process.

As the rest of the cafeteria returned to its own business, Connor cleared his throat again and forced himself to calm down. "Sorry. Yes, of course I'll help! Just say the word and I'm there."

Speed smiled with a slight chuckle. He didn't know why, but he got the impression that Connor was...different, somehow, from the average "number one fan" he was used to. His excitement was actually somewhat endearing... Speed just hoped that he had some talent underneath all of that. "Awesome, thanks!"

As Speed started in on his breakfast and Connor picked his spoon back up to take another bite of his own, he noticed that Connor was still eyeing him oddly. Speed paused in the middle of cutting his pancakes and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

It took Connor a moment to understand the silent question. "...You're not going away."

"Do you want me to?" Speed asked uncertainly.

"Nonono!" Connor hastily replied. "No, it's just that nobody usually sits with me... And I'm in the middle of updating some of Chim-Chim's software so he's powered down."

Speed shrugged. "Then I'll sit with you."

They both resumed their meals for a moment, Connor obviously forcing himself to not stare at Speed—which was appreciated—and Speed thinking about what Connor had said. Who was Chim-Chim? The first thing that came to mind was the chimpanzee that Uncle Spritle had owned when he was little, but that obviously couldn't be it.

"Who's Chim-Chim?" Speed finally asked after several moments of relatively comfortable silence.

"Oh, he's my robotic chimpanzee," Connor answered hastily. "I wanted a pet monkey, but I couldn't have one, so I made myself one instead."

Speed's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "You _made_ one?" This kid definitely knew what he was doing... Or at least had a better working knowledge of machinery than he and X combined.

Connor nodded. "Yup! You should meet him when I'm done updating him."

"Okay, why not? Let me know when he's finished," Speed said.

Another minute or so of companionable silence, and Connor had finished eating. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd better get back to work," he said sadly.

Speed gave him a smile. "That's okay, I can go sit with X," he assured Connor. They quickly exchanged numbers before Speed picked up his tray. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too!" Connor called back as he dashed from the cafeteria.

Speed snickered and shook his head good-naturedly before making his way over to X. The Deucy brothers and Annalise had already left, but X was still sitting there, watching Speed out of the corner of his eye, despite having already long since finished eating.

"So," X began once Speed had sat back down. "That looked like an interesting conversation."

Speed just shrugged. "Found us a new mechanic."

If X disapproved, he didn't show it. "Cool. Do you think he's any good?"

"Well he built his own robot, so..."

"So he's at least decent," X finished. "Seems legit."

* * *

Speed ended up needing Connor's mechanical expertise much sooner than he expected.

During a particularly tricky lesson in evasive maneuvers, Speed hadn't been quite quick enough. One minute, he was admiring his surroundings, watching the walls and ceiling of the large cavern he was driving through for the projectiles he would need to avoid, his path dimly lit by the glowing moss which patched the walls. The next, he was rushing to avoid the avalanche of stalactites from above. Avoiding falling objects in and of itself wasn't very difficult for him, which was exactly why Professor Winn made sure he had low visibility, not much room to maneuver, and slick terrain to navigate on top of the original challenge. He had started out doing pretty well considering the circumstances, until he hit an especially slick patch and lost traction. He slid right out from underneath the path of a cluster of smaller stalactites, only to find himself directly beneath a much bigger single one. It managed to partially crush his hood before the track roughly ejected him.

There didn't seem to be too much serious damage, but his dad had a full schedule that day, and Speed could tell just by looking beneath the halfway-pulverised hood that he wouldn't be able to take care of the entirety of the damage alone.

Connor met him in the garage after school, a pristine white robot monkey at his side.

"Wow. This must be Chim-Chim," Speed said, eyeing the robot with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. It bleeped at him, walking like a chimp would (naturally). It looked...proud of itself. It must've recognized its name.

"Yup, this is him!" Connor confirmed. The robot waved at Speed, who humored it and waved back. "That upgrade I was talking about this morning has increased his dexterity and tactile sensitivity tenfold! You could throw an egg at him and he'd be able to catch it without cracking it. Believe me, I tried," Connor added before turning to Speed's car and surveying the apparent damage with a grimace. "Yikes... Enough about Chim-Chim, let's fix this baby up before she has to go out on the track again. I'd hate to see her quit on you during a race."

Speed helped him open and prop the hood so he could see the real damage. Connor got to work immediately, letting Speed know what he was doing as he did it and occasionally complementing the car's design whenever something particularly interesting caught his eye. There wasn't much Speed had to do other than supervise; he would've handed Connor the tools he asked for, but Chim-Chim kept beating him to it. ' _That's one sharp robot,'_ Speed thought as the chimp handed Connor a rachet barely a second after he had asked for it. He settled for holding a flashlight so Connor could see what he was doing.

After several minutes, Speed asked, "How come you don't have a team yet?"

Connor didn't pause in his work, but he did shoot a slightly confused look at Speed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, judging by how most of what you're talking about is going over my head and how fast you're working, you're obviously a pretty great mechanic," Speed pointed out. "Any team would be lucky to have someone as talented as you. So why aren't you part of a team yet?"

Connor just shrugged, blushing slightly at the compliment. "Thanks... Nobody's really asked me to be a permanent part of their team yet," he replied. "It actually kinda works for me, though, because that way I get to work on a whole bunch of cars instead of just one or two. If nobody needs my help, then I have time to work on my designs. Lose-win-win, if you ask me."

"Ah. That actually doesn't sound too bad."

Connor agreed with him. They continued conversing idly as he worked, making quick work of the task. It only took him about half an hour to finish the damage, leaving only the need to hammer enough of the dent out of the hood so it would function until Speed could get a replacement.

"Thank you so much, Connor, I owe you one," Speed said genuinely.

Connor waved him off. "Oh no, it was my pleasure!" Chim-Chim bleeped in what seemed to be agreement before jumping on Connor and clinging to his shoulders. When Speed insisted on repaying the favor somehow, Connor suggested, "How about you come and look at some of my designs and we'll call it even, then?"

Speed actually beamed at the idea. "Sure!" He really was interested in seeing what someone like Connor could come up with. Connor almost squealed at the sight of Speed's enthusiasm.

"Awesome! Let's go!"

* * *

 _A/N: Enjoy the fluffiness while it lasts. ;)_

 _Jessica01 asked about Lucy, to which my answer is that at this point, she hasn't shown up yet. (And by "this point," I mean where_ I'm _at which is the beginning of chapter 8.) Not sure if she'll show up towards the end or not since I'm not certain of the details yet... She won't be a major character at any point in this, though, sorry. I'll have to write some drabbles or something to make up for it... Idk, we'll see._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5;  
** **"Daydreaming?"**

* * *

Speed and Connor ended up spending most of the evening in each other's company. Connor was somebody Speed probably wouldn't have even spoken to of his own accord, and yet here he was, feeling as if he had known Connor for a year.

When Speed returned to his own room, X was already there, reading a magazine with the TV on in the background. He glanced up at his younger brother as he entered. "Where you been?"

"Hanging out with Connor."

X shot Speed a thoughtful look. "Really?"

"Is that weird...?"

"Dunno," X replied with a shrug. "I just didn't think you guys would get along. He's weird."

Speed snickered. "And I'm not?"

X narrowed his eyes and closed his magazine. "Not usually, but recently, yeah. You've been acting pretty weird."

"Huh. Dad said that too when I went to talk to him yesterday."

"You asked him about the Mach 6?"

"Yeah." Speed frowned at the memory. "Whatever it is, he either doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't want me to know about it, or both."

"Hm."

Speed went about getting ready for bed, aware of how X was still watching him pensively but not really caring. He supposed he was acting a little different... If two of the four people who knew him best were telling him so, then it must be true. When he thought about it, he realized that he could see their point; he was being noticeably quieter at meals than usual, he wasn't nearly as outgoing as he normally was, he had moments where he felt as if he was inexplicably in danger, and his driving was suffering. He should've been able to handle a slick patch of road without getting impaled by a stalactite! He'd been handling terrain with little traction for several years now—after having nowhere to drive except winding desert roads until they came to the academy, Speed and X were two of the best dirt drivers on campus considering their age. Something was definitely up with him, but he didn't know what.

"Are you okay?" X finally reluctantly asked as Speed took off his pants and got into his bed.

Speed hesitated before answering, which was answer enough. "...I don't know. I think I am."

"Do you need to talk about it...?" Although his words were inviting, X's tone had all the awkwardness of a teenage dude trying to talk about feelings. Speed couldn't help but roll his eyes a little at that. He was touched by the sentiment, he assured himself, but X had never excelled in that area. He decided to spare his brother.

"Nah, I'm good..." he said in dismissal.

X seemed to have mixed feelings about that, but accepted the answer nonetheless and turned out the lights so Speed could get some sleep.

* * *

The next few days passed in a similar fashion.

Speed and Connor usually ate together at lunch, something X accepted but Annalise and the Deucys still poked fun at from time to time. Speed didn't care; he liked hanging out with Connor despite what some others thought.

He was still feeling randomly trepidatious around his family and friends for no reason, but he studiously ignored those feelings as well as he could. It was easy enough reassure himself that his anxiety had no foundation, that his family wouldn't hurt him, and that he had nothing and no one to fear. He even managed to convince himself that he was still completely sane until that friday after school.

He had just been going for a walk. As he passed the Grand Prix building's garages, he heard voices coming from the other side of one of the doors. _Familiar_ voices.

"...did it even happen? What do we know?"

Speed paused. ' _Damian?'_

It was Connor's garage... Speed used his I.D. to open the door, hoping Connor wouldn't mind the intrusion. The door slid open, and he was met with an odd scene inside.

"T-There was a flash. Earlier, b-before we went in," Speed Sr. said quietly, his voice shaking slightly. Everyone in the room looked over at him. He was propping himself up on the Mach 6, nearly doubled over. He looked absolutely miserable.

"Speed? Are you alright?" Spritle asked, his voice full of concern for his brother.

Speed Sr. looked him straight in the eyes. "No, I'm not."

"Don't worry Mr. Racer, we're going to get them back one way or another," Lucy said. Speed Sr. took a breath, trying to gather himself.

"It'd help if we knew how the hourglass part worked. Then we'd at least have some idea about where they've gone," Connor suggested. For this, they all looked to Speed Sr.

He looked up, glancing at them each. "Wish I could help."

"Woah woah woah, wait a minute… What do you mean you can't help?" Annalise asked. The whole room was a bit stunned as well.

Speed Sr. took another breath to steady himself. "I don't know how the hourglass part works. I have _no clue_. I never put it in the design."

" _What?!_ But you were the one who designed the Mach 6! How could you not know about the part?!" Damian asked, trying not to raise his voice and failing at it.

"The design wasn't finished when I went into hiding, Damian! I wasn't the only one who designed the car!" Speed Sr. retorted irritably.

Spritle's eyes widened in understanding. "Sparky," he said. Speed Sr. nodded.

"Sparky had been hooked on the idea of time travel for months before I went into hiding. I told him that if it were possible, it was a horrible idea that would only end in disaster. When I disappeared, he must've put it into the design somehow. I have no idea how it works, because the hourglass part was never my idea and I had no part in making it."

Speed jumped and spun around as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Woah, sorry," Connor said apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Speed blinked a few times and turned back around, only to find that the garage was as empty as it had ever been. "...Don't worry about it..." he barely breathed, unable to process everything he had seen. Connor gave him an odd look and opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but Speed interrupted before he could.

"I gotta go," was all he said before darting away, leaving Connor to wonder and worry.

* * *

Trixie was in her classroom grading papers. She expected a quiet evening of just that and planning her next lecture; not for her youngest son to suddenly run in, wide-eyed, worried, and completely out of breath.

"Speed?" She stood up instinctively upon seeing her son's distress, hurriedly making her way over to him. He met her halfway across the room.

"Mom, I think I'm losing my mind," he said, swallowing hard and failing at steadying his voice.

Trixie blinked in surprise, completely taken aback by the last thing she ever thought would come out of Speed's mouth. "What do you mean? Come on, sit down." She lead him to the nearest desk and knelt down next to him so she could see his face as he stared at the floor.

Speed took a few breaths, seeming to consider and reconsider his words before speaking. "I- I don't know, I just..." He swallowed hard. "It started out as these really weird dreams, and that seemed normal and I didn't really care, but then I started getting these weird feelings and even I could tell that I wasn't acting like myself, and just now I'm pretty sure I just hallucinated... _something_. I don't know what's going on but it's starting to scare me," he explained in just a few breaths. He even started tearing up a bit, something he chalked up to the fatigue he had been building up as a result of his difficulty sleeping thanks to the aforementioned dreams.

Trixie cupped his face in her hands and shushed him. "It's okay, Speed, you're okay... What did you see when you hallucinated?"

"I don't know, it was confusing... Dad was there, and Damian, and Annalise, and Uncle Spritle... There were a few others, too. They were talking, I don't know what about, they mentioned the Mach 6 and time travel, and I guess there was something wrong..."

Trixie hid any feelings she had about that information. "Okay, and what about the dreams? You told your father you dreamed about the Mach 6?"

Speed nodded. "Yeah, the Mach 6... There's a lot of other stuff, too. It's like my life, but messed up. Everything's different. Dad's on the run for some reason, and just recently there was this Red Bolt guy, and all these bad guys are trying to steal the Mach 6 because it's special for some reason."

Trixie's expression changed suddenly. Speed was slightly taken aback by it; there was alarm, dread, confusion... "What is it?" he asked her, surprised by how suddenly steady his voice was.

His mother just shook her head. Speed wanted to insist, but refrained. She was about to say something when they both heard a knock at the door.

"Speed?" It was his father. Trixie gave him a questioning look to which he bowed his head slightly.

"Come in," she called out. The door opened and Speed Sr. cautiously walked in.

"Are you alright? I saw you running this way," he said, peering at Speed who was studying the veins between the floor's tiles once again.

Trixie looked between her husband and her son for a moment, her resolve showing on her face as it formed.

"Speed, I think you have every right hear a story about a vision named the Mach 6."

* * *

 _A/N: Aw man I'm so mean... But you know what this means?! ;D Answerrrrssssssss! "Stay tuned for another THRILLING chapter of: SPEED RACER!"_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6;  
"Maybe you _can_ handle the truth..."**

* * *

 _The Mach 6... I thought I had the greatest idea ever with that car. It would change the automotive industry forever if I were to complete it because it would have the world's first gasless engine._

 _Just picture it; the perfect eco-friendly car. No gasoline, no emissions, no harmful chemicals. A dream machine._

 _Because...for the first time, I took a good long look at my career. As a pro racer, I saw that what I love is actually destroying the world slowly. And once I'd seen that truth, I couldn't let go of it. I began trying to come up with all these new ways to make racing coexist with nature rather than destroy it. And that's when I thought of it._

 _As you know, harmful chemicals are created when the engine burns gasoline through combustion. So I thought,_ 'What if cars didn't need gas at all?' _And that question was all it took._

 _I began developing the engine. I began pouring what grew to be countless hours of work and research into that dream. And when Sparky caught wind of my idea, he jumped in and helped me with it._

 _But then again...that kind of thing does sound too good to be true. And turns out, there was a price. A big one._

 _From the very start, Sparky and I both knew that we would need to keep the engine quiet. If we were to succeed, people who had invested in oil would lose money fast and even go out of business. Then they might want revenge, and who knows what they would do then._

 _As we got further and further into the engine's development, though, more people within our family learned of our project. They all agreed to keep it quiet and gave us some much needed support, but somehow Captain Terror still found out what we were planning._

 _Terror had been making a fortune from an oil rig he had invested in to fuel the Acrobat's cars and to make a profit by selling gas to gas stations and the like. Naturally, he saw my newfound dream as a threat to his interests._

 _He began making threats against me and our family, trying to get me to give up. He sent letters, packages, and left...reminders that steadily grew in severity over time. Your mother wanted me to stop developing the engine as the threats increased, but I was stubborn and stupid and I didn't listen. But what can I say? I was trying to change the world for the better..._

 _I figured that Captain Terror would limit himself to threats and maybe some increased rivalry on the track._

 _I have never been so wrong._

 _After just three weeks, he attacked me._

 _At the time I was practicing on a nearby track, just clearing my head. You know how I get on the road, you know the feeling... Bliss. Then I heard the car acrobats' engines. They came out of nowhere, at least eight of them. I was cornered, I barely managed to get out before they boxed me in... All I could do was drive, but it wasn't enough._

 _Captain Terror showed up, and I didn't see that I had been chased straight into a trap until it was too late to escape. Apparently it was your mother who found me... The Mach 5 had been practically pulverised because Terror had rammed me so hard. I was lucky I even survived._

 _Everyone told me to give up the engine, but I still wouldn't listen._

 _...I should have._

 _I should have realized right then that the world might not be as ready for gasless technology as I was. I was too stupid and naïve to see it, and we all had to pay for that._

 _..._

 _For a month, Terror was quiet. It seemed like he had given up. We almost stopped worrying, and that was when he struck again. And that time, it was much worse._

 _Somehow he managed to sneak poison into a pie that your mother had made..._

 _..._

 _...and you boys lost your grandfather._

 _He'd supported me for so long, and it was so sudden, I-_

 _...It finally made me think about what I was really willing to risk. What if it hadn't been Pops? What if it was your mother, or your brother, or me? It could've been any one of us._

 _So I_ finally _decided that enough was enough._

 _I had to give up on that damned engine, and for a good reason. I needed to stop thinking about the world and start thinking about_ my _world. The engine could wait. I wasn't about to risk losing anyone else just for some stupid dream._

 _..._

 _The Mach 6 doesn't exist, Speed, and at this rate, I don't know if it ever will..._

* * *

"Allo."

"Sparky?"

"Oh, hey! Sorry, it's a habit now." Speed couldn't help but snicker slightly; Sparky had picked up a bit of an accent while he was in Russia, and until he remembered that he was talking to another American, his accent had been even thicker than usual.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "Just don't start speaking Russian, 'cause I won't have any idea what you're saying."

"Но мне нравится говорить по-русски! Я буду учить вас некоторые, когда я вернусь," Sparky said. Speed's facepalm was audible, and Sparky laughed. "Ah... Anyway, to what do I owe this call?"

Speed glanced around cautiously before answering, double checking that nobody was nearby. "Time travel? Really?"

"What about it?"

"You haven't been playing around with the space-time continuum, have you?"

"No...? I don't have a secret time machine, Speed. Why are you asking...?"

Speed sighed. So much for an easy answer. "Lots of weird stuff is going on, and I'm trying to see whether I'm on the right track or just need a good prescription."

"Hmm... Well, what kind of weird stuff?"

Speed once again explained how he had been having weird dreams and how that had escalated. He felt as if he had told everyone he knew about it by now... He was getting sick of explaining it, but he knew that Sparky was somehow directly related to whatever was going on, _if_ anything was going on... Assuming his hallucination had any truth to it, that is. He was willing to bet on the hope that it did, though, considering how he hadn't known anything about the Mach 6, and yet was having completely accurate dreams about the accursed car.

"Wow... That is some weird stuff," Sparky commented once he had finished. "You said something about an 'hourglass part'?"

"Yeah," Speed confirmed. Once he had calmed down, he had been able to process what he had heard. That didn't mean he _understood_ all of it, of course, but that was why he was calling Sparky—to (hopefully) fill in the gaps. "I think we can assume that it's a time machine or something and that it was used at some point."

"I think you're absolutely right. You say that these dreams are like you're seeing a different version of your life?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe..." Sparky was silent for a long moment, presumably thinking. "Assuming this time travel device was used and you're not crazy, maybe these aren't just dreams. Maybe you're seeing a parallel timeline."

Speed's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Is that even scientifically possible?"

"Theoretically, yes; one of many hypotheses pertaining to time travel speculates that going back in time and making a significant change to the timeline could create an alternate timeline. Someone from the original timeline could've gone back in time, changed something, and then that change altered the present and future, but the original timeline still exists parallel to our own, and you're seeing it in your dreams. Kinda like that new Star Trek movie?"

"Haven't seen it, but I think I get it..."

"I'm going to force you to watch it the second I get back to America."

Speed snickered. "Looking forward to it. But wait, how come I'm seeing the other timeline? Do I have superpowers or something?"

Sparky laughed aloud. "No no, nothing like that. I'm not actually sure about that... Every explanation I can come up with isn't very good."

"Not good as in bad news, or not good as in probably not the right explanation?" ' _Please be the latter, please be the latter, please be the latter...'_

"Bad news."

' _Crap...'_ "What's the worst one?"

"...Hopefully the space-time continuum isn't being ripped apart."

* * *

 _A/n: I just realized that I use "Sparky ex Machina" quite a bit... Oh c'mon, it's not my fault he's smart and useful! Plus, I like him a lot and probably would have no use for him if he wasn't directly connected to the plot the way he is right now, sooo... :P Deal. On a somewhat related note, ANSWERS! I actually wrote that bit that Speed Sr. narrated at the beginning in one of my notebooks about two years ago... I was planning on releasing it as a separate one-shot and companion to this once I had finished posting this whole thing, but then I found a way to actually incorporate it into the story, so there it is! And I once again tread the dangerous waters of first person POV. I think I did okay though (or at least decently), so no(t much) harm done. :3  
_ _Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7;  
** **"Mission Impossible"**

* * *

"Are you okay? You seemed kinda spooked earlier..."

Speed was still holding onto his phone with both hands even though he had long since ended his call with Sparky. Now he was standing awkwardly in the doorway to Connor's dorm, still trying to think of how to say everything on his mind, assuming speaking his mind was even a good idea in the first place... He had no idea how Connor would react to any of it, after all. Still, he felt as if Connor could help, and, inexplicably, he trusted him.

He swallowed hard. "If— _hypothetically,_ if I told you something...completely insane..." he began, trailing off as he tried to figure out how to continue.

"What kind of completely insane are we talkin' here?" Connor asked with undisguised curiosity.

"...Time-travel related?"

Connor's eyes widened until Speed thought they might pop out. "Please continue."

Speed swallowed nervously again. "Well, Sparky—" he ignored the stifled squeak that that had provoked from Connor "—has a guess that maybe somebody from an alternate timeline went back in time and changed something, so now the space-time continuum is screwed and it's giving me crazy dreams and visions and stuff, and I think maybe you can help us find a way to fix it before the universe implodes or something crazy like that."

Wow... He hadn't meant to just come out and say all of that... Let alone make it sound like this was relatively normal for him in the process. After a moment of stunned blankness, Connor seemed to wrap his head around everything Speed had said. "Awesome... I mean, that's horrible! Of course I'll help! It would be an honor!"

"Wait, that's it?" Speed asked incredulously. "You don't think I'm even a little crazy?"

"You said you've been having weird dreams? Well, I think I might have been, too..."

Speed had to encourage him to continue.

"Well... I usually have some pretty weird dreams, but for the past few nights, I've actually had some dreams about...about you, and me, and Lucy and Chim-Chim, and the Academy in general..."

"Let me guess, in them I grew up in an orphanage, dad is or was in hiding, you're my mechanic, and some evil committee is trying to steal the Mach 6?"

"...Well I don't remember that much from them, but that sounds about right."

"...Can we use your garage?"

* * *

Despite Speed's protests, Sparky was back in America by lunch the next day.

The younger Racer waited patiently at the edge of the campus, his anxiety obvious on his face as he repeatedly checked the time on his phone to occupy himself. Finally, as bus drove into his line of sight, slowing to a stop in front of the academy's driveway. Speed clenched his fists, staring hopefully at the bus as if he could see through it until it pulled away, leaving none other than Wilson Sparkolomew in its wake.

Speed glared at Sparky as the mechanic approached him. Sparky was obviously confused by the hostile stare.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I'm going to be in if dad finds out that you're here?!" Speed demanded. He wasn't able to hold his dark frown for long, though; Sparky saw through the act, his eyes glittering with humor, and Speed's stern expression broke into a broad smile. The young racer practically leaped into the mechanic's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Good to see you, too, kid," Sparky laughed, and Speed didn't miss the note of confusion in his voice. He knew why it was there; he had never been a hugger.

Speed lead the mechanic up to the school and they immediately headed for Connor's garage. They avoided confronting anyone else. Neither of them wanted to waste any time, and Sparky still wasn't sure how to explain the situation to Speed Sr. and Trixie without getting Speed in trouble. ' _That'll be one heck of a conversation.'_

Speed was a little worried about how Connor would react to meeting Sparky—he had only just gotten the hang of having Speed for company, after all. With any luck, whatever he did wouldn't distract them from the situation at hand too much. And thankfully, Connor was able to mostly contain himself, restricting what could have been a verbal onslaught of a greeting to a compliment on Sparky's work and little more. Speed didn't stop glancing over his shoulder until they were safely locked inside the garage with no company other than the security camera in the corner (which thankfully couldn't listen in).

Sparky opened his briefcase and fished through the contents. "Okay. I've been thinking about what you've told me, Speed. Has anything else come up since we talked?" When Speed shook his head, he continued. "Good. As I was saying, I've been thinking, and I have a few ideas as to what might be happening." He brought a worn notebook out of his case, set the case on the floor, and sat on the sofa he had been using as a table. Speed and Connor sat on either side of him, watching as he flipped through half a book of various sketches and passages until he came to the specific walls of chicken-scratch he had been looking for. "First of all, I've been focussing on your dreams and hallucinations, Speed. I told you over the phone that they could be the result of damage to the space-time continuum, and I am still fairly attached to that idea, especially after the dream I had on the plane ride here... Don't ask, it was complicated. But it was also very helpful; other me has had nearly two decades to think through time travel, develop a working method of traveling through time which has been proven through several trials, and just all around figure out just about everything we need to know."

"Sparky ex Machina?" Speed snickered, earning himself a gleeful beam from Sparky.

"Exactly! Who knew that that sort of thing can happen in real life?"

"Except," Connor suddenly spoke up, "how much of all that do you remember from your dream?"

"Enough to get us at least started, and I seem to be instinctively becoming attached to certain theories as well..." Sparky replied. "In this case, and this case only, I think we'd be best off following my gut."

"What does your gut say?"

Sparky motioned down to a diagram he had drawn in his notebook, and Speed eagerly accepted the visual aid. (He was hardly understanding a word.) "My gut says that the magnitude of the timelines that are going parallel to each other is what's doing the damage. One timeline has nearly infinite possibilities branching from it, but perhaps never being followed. Even the mere existence of those branches, however, gives it epic scale. Minor time jumps—that is, ones which don't affect the timeline too much either because of how short they are or how little they affect the already established timeline—probably don't upset it too much, but going back in time and then doing something which butterfly-effects the whole future? Now you have two timelines with all those possibilities making too much noise and taking up _way_ too much space, and they can't reconcile because they're so different. So now those dreams and visions? They're glimpses into the other timeline, probably from places where the timelines are clashing, for want of a better term."

"That's an awful lot of guesswork," Connor pointed out reluctantly.

Sparky just shrugged with a frown. "Since we're not the ones who have actually traveled through time, guesswork is the best we can do."

"Well, you've lost me," Speed said miserably as he rubbed at one of his temples.

"That's okay. Just know that there's a parallel universe, and it's existence is about to make the whole world explode."

"You couldn't have just said that?" Speed threw his hands up in exasperation, making Sparky chuckle.

"Wait a second..." Connor began suspiciously. "If the timelines have always been gearing up to destroy each other, then how come we haven't been having dreams and stuff before just recently? Wouldn't we have been seeing stuff like that the entire time?"

"I've thought about that, too," Sparky replied, tapping his own nose twice. "That's what's convinced me that the timelines are splintering; I've reasoned that we're approaching the moment when the timelines were originally 'connected,' per say. The moment when someone from the original timeline created a hole through which to travel to the moment they changed the timeline and created this one. That's probably one of the points at which the damage is worse, so it's the one we're noticing."

Connor nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I'd venture an informed guess and say that that moment is our best opportunity to fix everything."

"Probably." Sparky agreed.

"I actually understood all that that time," Speed remarked. "And I'm guessing that by 'fix it' you mean going back in time again and preventing whatever got changed from getting changed?"

"Prevent the change, yes. But we might not have to go back in time to do it; we just need to get to the other timeline somehow," Connor corrected thoughtfully.

"Which is good because although we don't have the technology to actually travel through time, we'll probably be able to find a way to get to the other timeline just by taking advantage of how damaged it is," Sparky added.

"Ok, cool."

"Then all we need to do now is figure out what we need to stop from happening and when," Connor said eagerly.

Speed frowned. "How are we gonna do that, though? We can't just wait for whatever it is to happen, it'll be too late to do anything by then."

Sparky grinned eagerly and abruptly snapped his notebook shut with a sharp _clap!_ that almost made Speed and Connor jump.

"No worries, I have a plan!"

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry this is a little later than usual. On the bright side, this should be the last exposition for a while... The next chapter (which I haven't written all of yet, bt-dubs) is where the "action" really begins. :D And yes, I just published one of my major pet peeves by pointing out one of the story's flaws in the narrative. I don't care though, Sparky ex Machina for the win.  
_ _Thanks for reading!_


End file.
